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York drug dealer probed by sport cheats watchdog

THE agency that catches Britain’s sports cheats is investigating the actions of a drug-dealing York abattoir worker.

Daniel Meek, 34, was at the centre of a £100,000-plus illegal anabolic steroid operation involving body-builders, York Crown Court heard.

All the drugs involved were on the World Anti Doping Agency’s list of performance-enhancing substances that sportsmen and sportswomen are banned from using.

After he was given a suspended prison sentence, UK Anti Doping (UKAD) revealed that it is carrying out its own investigation into the case.

Meek, of Ninth Avenue, Tang Hall, pleaded guilty to two charges of supplying Class C controlled drugs between January 6, 2011 and June 11, 2013.

His two-year sentence was suspended for two years on condition that he does 300 hours’ unpaid work, the maximum the judge could order.

Two years is the longest sentence that can be suspended.

York Crown Court heard he was caught when two of his drug shipment parcels were intercepted as they reached the UK and that more than £127,000 went through his international money accounts.

He will return to court later this year for a judge to decide how much he has benefited from his crimes.

UKAD head of intelligence and investigations Pat Myhill said: “UK Anti-Doping’s intelligence and investigations team has worked with the relevant authorities to gather information surrounding this case.

“Investigations into possible links to sport are ongoing, and while this continues it would be inappropriate to comment further.

“Through information-sharing agreements, UKAD is able to work closely with law enforcement agencies to investigate possible cases of doping in sport.

"We thank those involved here for their help and support.”

His barrister, Chris Dunn, said: “Here is a good man, a charitable man, a pillar of the community who helps those people who are less fortunate than themselves.”

In body-building, steroid use was so prevalent body-builders could be “as big as their financial position lets them be”, said Mr Dunn.

Meek had decided to get drugs from abroad because they were better than those available in the UK, he said.

The Recorder of York, Judge Stephen Ashurst, said Meek was a “something of an enigma”. “The fact is you realised what you were doing was against the law,” he said.